Electronic coin totalizer



SBP- 15, 1953 J. F. MORRISON 2,652,136

' ELECTRONIC COIN TOTALIZER Filed April, 1952 i CHAN.' Ml l0 VOLTIGE z 0F SUPPLY WLMGE INVENTOR. 02m/v E Mae/50N ;E E BY l Patented Sept. 15, 1953 ELECTRONIC COIN TOTALIZER John F. Morrison, Boonton, N. J., assignor to Rowe Manufacturing Co., Inc., Whippany, N. J., a corporation of New York Application April 3, 1952, Serial No. 280,427

My invention relates to an electronic coin totalizer and more particularly to a device for generating a signal upon the deposit of a predetermined number of coins of various denominations.

Vending machines comprise apparatus adapted to deliver merchandise of various types, such as cigarettes, candy, or the like upon the operation of a push button, pull member or lever. Sometimes vending machines operate automatically upon the deposit of a coin or plurality of coins aggregating the value of the merchandise being sold. In some cases change is given. Upon deposit of the correct amount the vending machine is` either set into operation or freed for'operation.

If merchandise is to -be sold for twenty-five cents, for example, it is desirable that a vending `machine be permitted to operate on the deposit of a twenty-tive cent piece, fivenickels, two dimes and one nickel, or by threenickels and one dime. Various devices are known to the art per- `Inittng a vending machine to be operated on combinations of coins. One system of the prior art employs a plurality of stepping relays adapted to mechanically step the starting switch to the 7 claims. (ci. 194-6) 2 tiating the vending cycle can be varied simply, readily and expeditiously.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electronic coin totalizer which is safe in that the vending cycle will not be initiated until coins of the requisite amount are deposited.

IOther and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of the instant specication, and which are to be read in conjunction therewith:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic View of an electronic coin totalizer showing one embodiment of my I invention;

starting position upon the successive deposit of coins. Another system is shown in the copending application of Christian Gabrielsen and John F.

, Morrison, Serial No. l66,045,`1iled June 3, 1950,

which employs an electric coin register in which a circuit is adapted to be completed by the deposit of various coins of different denominations aggregating the correct amount for the purchase, which circuit operates a relay to initiate the vending and change-making cycles.

The use of relays is satisfactory. Relays, however, have moving contacts which due to arcing sometimes fail to complete the vending or changemaking operation. Then too, relays are costly and must be replaced due to the wearing out of moving parts.

One object of my invention is to provide an electronic coin totalizer in which noA moving parts or relays are employed except a single, sturdy relay iinally to energize the vending cycle and a single, sturdy relay to energize the changemaking cycle. Each of these relays will have but a single contact.

Another object ofiny invention is'to provide l an electronic coin totalizer in which a. multiplicity'of relays are avoided.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electronic coin totalizer in which the Aaggregate lamount'oi the coins deposited for ini= Fig. 2 is a curve showing the eiect of a change in value of the grid resistance upon the grid voltage.

In general, my invention contemplates a series circuit consisting of a plurality of coin-register resistors and iixed resistors governing price, and a thyratron in series across a constant voltage source.V The coin-register resistors are adapted to be shortcircuited by the deposit of coins of predetermined denominations. When the correct value of coins has been deposited in the coin register, the thyratron is adapted to ire to operate a vending relay. A second thyratron may be placed parallel With'the rst thyratron and setl to operate at a higher voltage so that if a coin of larger denomination is deposited in the coin register, not only the rst but also the second thyratron will fire. The ring of the second thyratron Will operate a change-making relay.

More particularly, referring now to the drawings, a voltage yfrom any desired source is im- "pressedacross terminals I0 andV I2. A pair of space discharge tubes I4 and I6 are provided.

By way of illustration, and not by Way of limitation, I employ'a voltage of 300 volts. The higher "voltage gives an ample voltage change on the their function of'regulat'in'g the voltage acrossv lines I8 and 20. The coin register indicated generally by the reference numeral 22 is of the type shown in copending application Serial No; 166,045 in which the contact points are bridged by resistors. The resistors R2 and R3 are adapted to be short-circuited 4by dimes and each has a value aesaie 3 of 2,000 ohms. The resistors R4, R5, R6, Rl and R8 are adapted to be short-cirouited by nickels and each of these resistors has a value of 1,000 ohms. The resistor R9 is adapted to be short-circuited by a quarter and has a resistance of 5,000 ohms. A price-adjustment switch assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral 24 comprises a switch arm 26 adapted to be placed selectively in contact with the fivecent price contact terminal 28, the ten-cent price terminal 30, the fifteen-cent price terminal 32. the twenty-cent price terminal 34 or the twentyve cent price terminal 3Q. 'ljhe five-cent price terminal 28 is connected to, the terminal conductor 40 of the coin register 22 by a conductor 38 containing negligible resistance. The ten-cent price terminal 30 is connected to the register terminal conductor 40 through a resistor Rill. having 1,000-ohms resistance. The fteen-cent price terminal 3.2 is connected to. the coin register through resistor Ril having a 2,0.00-ohm resistance. The twenty-cent price terminal 34 is connected with. the coin register through resistor having $000- ohm resistance. rlfhe twentyfive cent price, terminal 0 is connected with the coin register through RIE;` having a 4,000-ohm resistzirlze.` vlhe resistor RI comprises a 10,000- ohm resistance. The resistor RIG comprises a i2000-ohm resistance. The potentiometer Rll has a capacity 9010000, ohms. The resistor RIB has a value of 50,000 ohms. The plate resistor RIS,v has. av value of 51,000Y ohms. The switch 42 may be a push button switch to complete the circuit if desired. This isu's'ed only in multi-column machines where. the push button mechanically connects the particular column to they operating bar, as is well known in the art, and is therefore not shown. The thyratron V3 may benny,` conventional gas tetrode. The relay Kl, -may be any sensitive/D. C. relay having a f 2.599-Qhm cgil.

The thyratron usedv` has a variation in critical roltass Qf.: erprosimetelr. 2v relis., Ascsrdingly, will; 12e @ser is` these skilled.` inf the srt s roliste shwrs. the visie@ Off re volts will site reliable operation. 'I estsy have shownthat rariatigns in the.. alternating current. line Voltage as. high. plus. Orminus will, not 'adversely effect the psrfsrmsess Qf. the' C irsuit.- Actually, line variations. Qf .hlsss than this, srs encountered pr. @es bei. the, sddsdssror 0f` safety s p rises. t9..prersntfscsidsrisl. purchase for smaller. amounts required.

The. variable; arm.. 44 `Qf its. poisrriismetsr ft' l adjuststhe cathodebias. Itwill be observedythat irithsirlit showrrurrsnt .flQWs around the 100D @surprising Conductor 13,. Conductor 46,. resistor R101 resistor` RIT, resistor RIG, conductor 48` to colslltqr. 2.0.1 Whish is the other Side 0f the 1ine The, voltage. (lrop throughl part of the resistance.

Qf. resistor RU. plus. the voltage drpr acrossA resistorfil; is. balanced against the, vbltsge drop across. the.' rest Qi,- rssistsr RIT plus the voltage dropacross resistor R16 to determine the cathode bias. VLiet us consider" that switch-421s closed and there. are Coins., in the, resister? This WOUCLQCQU?. if 59.316.939 @Wmpd t0, Operate the machine.A by merely pressing the push button withoutfdepositing any coins. The voltage drop across-vthle resistors RZ, R?v R4, R5,r R6, R1, R8, Rilland one? of. resistors RID', RU, RIZ or RI3, depending upon the position of the switch arm 2li,` aswell as resistor RIS,` in series determine the grid potential. It will be observed that the series` of resistors of the coin register and the' price-adjustment resistor form, in effect, one arm of a potentiometer of which the other arm comprises resistor Rl5. A reduction in the value of any of the resistors R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R1, R8 or R0 or in the value of the price-adjustment resistor increases the voltage drop across resistor RIS and hence raises the potential applied to the grid 5,2 of thyratron V3. When a coin is deposited in the coin register it is arranged to short-circuit resistor corresponding to the value of the coin. For example, the iirst nickel deposited will short-circuit resistor R8, the second nickel will short-circuit resistor R1, the third nickel short-circuit resistor R6, the fourth nickel will short-.circuit resistor R5 while the filth nickel will short-circuit resistor R4. Similarly the first dirne will short-circuit resistor R3 thesecond dime will short-circuit resistor R2, a quarter will short-circuit resistor R9. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that for the resistor values given and with av voltage of 300 volts, the gshort-circuitingr of 1,000 ohms will produce a voltage change of approximately four volts across resistor RI5 which determines the grid potential. The moving of the switch arm from the twenty-five cent` contact 36 to. the twenty-cent contact 34 will reduce the resistance in series with the coin register resistor from 4,000 ohms to 3,000 ohms, namely 1,000 ohms. This enables a sufllcient voltage to be applied to the grid 5,2 when an additional 4,000 ohms is removed from the series circuit in the coin register. This can be done, by short-circuiting four 1,0003-ohm resistors by the deposit of fQllr nickels. It may be done by the short-circutillg Of two 2,000-ohm resistors by the deposit of two dimes. It may be done further by the short-circuiting of 2,000 ohms by the deposit of one dime and the addtional 2,000 ohms by. the deposit of two nickels. If a quarter is deposited it willshort-circuit 5,000 ohmsI which is over 4,000 and obviously raise the grid potential, to above the` firing point. When the grid` potential is raisedthe thyratron willfire and currentwill flow from conductor i8, through the relay winding KI from the plate to the cathode of the thyratron thence through a portion oft, the, resistance of resistor RH, the resistor Rl 6, conductorv 48 to.t`heother sideof the line 2,0'. The energization. of,A tll WndingKl will operate Arelay switch Sito completethe circuit which .energizes the vending cycle.Y

It will beobserved thata second thyratron V4 is connectedparallel with the first thyratron V3, in an analogous circuit. The resistor R2ljhasa value of 12,000 ohms similar to resistor Rit; The

' resistor R23 has a value of 20,000vohms similar to the value of resistor RIS. The resistance of the potentiometer R22` is 10,000 ohms similanto the value of the resistance ofv potentiometerRlrl. The. variable` arm 56. of the potentiometer.y R22 however, is adjusted to give a cathodelbiasmcre positive than thebias placed upontheA cathode of thyratron V32, In this mannerit, will require a, greater grid potential placedupon the grid 5B Qi?, thyratlon VA. to cause thistubetcflre, The arrangement issuch in theexamplegiven that the deposit of two dimes, or other coing totalling exactly twenty cents, only cause thyratronvV to re While4 thyratron. V4 Will. notl fire.` When twenty-five Cents is denssited. h0wevsrthemcreased voltage drop across resistorRl5k'iscorn- Iriunicatedy through conductor 6,0- to, the grid' 58 and will bev of 4 suilicientmagnitude to cause thyratron V4 to fire in addition to ring thyratron V3,thus energizing relay winding K2" and clos- "ing switch -62 to energize the change-making cycle as wellfasoperating the vending relay; Any

suitable change maker lknown to the art may be present ,when contactA terminalmz is inlcontact with. theytwenty-ve cent price-adjustment terminal 3*'6. rI'he thyratron V3l will re uponf'the deposit of a dime, upon the deposit of two nickels and will also fire when a twenty-five cent piece is deposited. In this case the change-maker is adjusted to give three nickels in change. In the position shown in the drawing with the arm 26 in contact with the fifteen-cent price-adjustment terminal, the thyratron V3 will fire upon the deposit of three nickels, two dimes, or a dime and one nickel, as well as by a quarter. In the case of two dimes,` one nickel change is given. In the case of a quarter two nickels change is given. The change-making structure forms no part of the instant invention and any suitable change maker known to the art may be employed, and accordingly the details of the change maker are not described. If the price-adjustment arm is set on the terminal 28 for a five-cent purchase the thyratron V3 will fire upon the deposit of a nickel or upon deposit of a dime, or upon the deposit of a quarter. In the case of a dime or the quarter, the change-maker will operate and one nickel change is given for a dime and four nickels change is given for a quarter.

My circuit cannot be cheated by pulling out the power cord, letting the tubes cool and then attempting to make a purchase before the tubes are completely warmed up. Under these conditions greater resistances must be short-circuited and it Will be necessary, for example, if this is attempted, to put in twenty-five cents to make a twenty-cent purchase.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided an electronic coin totalizer for controlling vending machines which is flexible and simple in construction. I have provided an electronic coin totalizer in which a single contact relay is used to complete the vending cycle and a single contact relay is employed to operate the change maker. Bothl relays are automatically controlled from the same coin register. Changes in prices at which the totalizer will complete the circuit may be rapidly and expeditiously made. My electronic co-in totalizer is very exible, has only two moving parts and cannot be cheated. It is simple and inexpensive to construct and easy to maintain.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specic details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. An electronic coin totalizer including in combination a thyratron having a grid and an anode and a cathode, a voltage source, a circuit including a relay winding for impressing potential vfrom the voltage source across the` anode and cathode of the thyratron, means for biasing the cathode to a predetermined potential with respect to' ground, a Vpotentiometer comprising a pair of xed resistors, a coin circuit for connecting the potentiometer across the voltage source, a conductor connecting the grid to they potentiometer intermediate the resistors, a coin register adapted to receive coins, one of said potentiometer resistors= being positioned in thecoin register to'be short-circuited by a coin deposited therein, the construction being such that upon the shortcircuiting of one of the potentiometer resistors by a coin deposited in the register the potential impressed by the potentiometer upon the grid will be increased to a point to re the thyratron whereby to energize the relay winding and a contact adapted to be closed by the energization of the relay winding.

2. An electronic coin totalizer including in combination a thyratron having a grid and an anode and a cathode, a voltage source, a circuit including a relay winding for impressing potential from the voltage source across the anode and cathode of the thyratron, means for biasing the cathode to a predetermined potential with respect to ground, a potentiometer comprising a group of a plurality of ixed resistors and a separate xed resistor, a coin circuit for connecting the potentiometers across the voltage source, a conductor for connecting the grid to the potentiometer intermediate the group of Xed resistors and the separate fixed resistor, a coin register adapted to receive coins, each of the plurality of the group of fixed resistors being positioned to be short-circuited by respective coins in the coin register, the construction being such that the short-circuiting of a predetermined number of resistors will raise the voltage applied to the grid to a point to cause the thyratron to re whereby to energize said relay winding and a contact adapted to be closed upon the energization of the relay winding.

3. An electronic coin totalizer as in claim 2 including a second thyratron having a grid and an anode and a cathode, a circuit including a second relay winding for impressing potential from the voltage source across the anode and cathode of the second thyratron, means for biasing the second cathode to a predetermined potential with respect to ground above that to which the first cathode is biased, a conductor for connecting the grid of the second thyratron to the potentiometer intermediate the group of fixed resistors and the separate resistor, the construction being such that upon the short-circuiting of a greater number of resistors of the group of fixed resistors than the predetermined number of resistors the second thyratron will re in addition to the firing of the first thyratron whereby to energize the second relay winding and a second contact adapted to be closed upon the energization of the second relay winding.

4. An electronic coin totalizer as in claim 2 in which some of the group of resistors of the potentiometer positioned in the coin register are adapted to be short-circuited by nickels, some resistors of the group of resistors positioned in the coin register are adapted to be short-circuited by dimes, and one of the resistors of the group of resistors positioned in the coin register is adapted to be short-circuited by a quarter.

5. An electronic coin totalizer as in claim 2 in which said coin circuit includes a variable resistor connected in series whereby to vary the vmmxber of yresistors which must be short-cirouited to .lie the thyratron thereby providing for mice fadustment.

`6. electronic -coin totatzer Las rin 'claim 2 in which :said voltage 4source `comprses the output of a :space discharge tube whereby .to .produce Ae. constant voltage.

7. electromie cein totali-zer es Lin -claim 2 fin which said means tor biasing the -cathode to a. predetermined potential includes a second potientiomete'r connected vacross the voltage source 8 with the intermediate `amm of the potentiometer rmdustably connected 4to the cathode.

JOHN F. MORRISON.

rReferenees Cited fn the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number 'Name Date 1,980,816 McDll Nov. 13, 1934 A`24`62,326 'Manoog et a1 Feb. '22, 1949 V2.546,0675 Victoreen Jan. 30, 1951 '2,589,214 Andrews vMar. 18, 1952 

